DRUG-ABUSE AND IDENTITY - LINKING MICRO AND MACRO FACTORS

The quest to link micro and macro phenomena in symbolic interactionism has gained considerable attention over the years. The present study builds on this endeavor by linking micro and macro phenomena in the transformation of identities accompanying the movement into drug addiction. A qualitative approach is employed, featuring indepth interviewing with a purposive sample (N=30) of currently abstinent drug addicts from the 12-Step programs of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) and Narcotics Anonymous (N.A.) in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. Findings indicate that identity change is a product of both micro (''ego identity discomfort,'' ''status passages,'' ''and a loss of control in defining one's identity'') and macro phenomena (''social appraisal sources'' and a ''social climate conducive to drug use'') and, thus, offers empirical support to symbolic interactionism's ability to deal with the macro as well as the micro. Findings also uncover insights into the etiology of drug addiction and pinpoint new directions for combatting substance abuse.